The present invention is enabled by a magnetizer that functions as a magnetic printer that is able to move a magnetizable material relative to the location of a print head (and/or vice versa) so that magnetic pixels (or maxels) can be printed in a prescribed pattern at locations on the magnetizable material. Generally, the print head of the magnetic printer consists of multiple flat metal layers that form a flat metal inductor coil about a hole, where the shape of the print head may or may not conform to different shaped surfaces.
FIG. 1A provides an oblique projection view and FIGS. 1B and 1C provide side views of a prior art print head 100 having a flat print surface (i.e., the surface that would typically come into contact with the surface of a magnetizable material). Specifically, the print head 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C comprises a multiple turn flat metal (e.g., copper) coil 102 having tabs 106 for connecting to wiring of a magnetization subsystem. The multiple turn flat metal coil 102 includes a cylindrically shaped hole (or aperture) 104 in which a magnetic field is produced to print a maxel into the magnetizable material, where the magnetizable material may have a flat surface 108 substantially parallel to the flat print surface of the print head 100 such as depicted in FIG. 1B. Alternatively, the print head 100 can be brought into contact and print a maxel onto magnetizable material having a convex surface 110 such as depicted in FIG. 1C.
FIG. 1D depicts an alternative prior art print head shape where the various flat metal layers of the print head have a concave shape that conforms to a convex surface 110 of a magnetizable material and where the print head 100 has a cylindrically shaped hole.
FIGS. 1E-1G depict another alternative prior art print head shape where the various flat metal layers of the print head 100 have a convex shape enabling the print head to come into contact with a convex shaped surface of a magnetizable material such as in FIG. 1E but also flat and concave shaped surfaces of magnetizable material such as shown in FIGS. 1F and 1G, respectively, where the print head 100 has a cylindrically shaped hole. FIG. 1H depicts yet another alternative prior art print head shape where the various flat metal layers of the print head 100 have a funnel-like shape and the print head 100 has a cylindrically shaped hole.
FIG. 1I depicts an example design of multiple layers 108a-108c of a prior art magnetic print head 100, where each of the multiple layers 108a-108c of the print head have a hole 104a-104c having the same diameter such that when the print head 100 is constructed, e.g., by welding the multiple layers together, it will have a cylindrically shaped hole. Referring to FIG. 1I, the print head 100 includes a bottom layer 108a that has a slot 114a and a hole 104a having a first diameter, a middle layer 108b that has a slot 114b and a hole also having the first diameter, and a top layer 108c has a slot 114c and a hole 104c also having the first diameter.